As known in electrical energy distribution systems, switchgear panels are electrical components used as node points, while cables and overhead lines represent the conjunction of the various nodes.
From a structural point of view, switchgear panels, which are also known as electric switchboards, switchgears or electric panels, for example, can comprise a metallic cubicle that is internally divided into several compartments or cells housing various apparatuses and equipment. For example, one compartment houses a switching unit, such as a circuit breaker. A second compartment houses main connections, such as bus-bars, feeding power from an electrical source. A further compartment houses a system of cables suitable to be connected to a load, for example, an electrical motor.
Depending on the applications, switchgear panels can comprise other components, such as current transformers, voltage transformers, or other suitable components as desired.
Hence, according to this known scheme, a single switchgear panel or two or more associated switchgear panels can include functions for the proper distribution of electrical power. These functions have been divided into two different types; primary and secondary functions.
Primary functions are designated as those functions related to the main voltage, current and power distribution, such as, for example making, breaking, conduct the nominal current, withstanding the short circuit current for a certain time, disconnection, earthing, connections and disconnections of cables for substitution or test, isolation of live part from operators et cetera. In particular, some basic primary functions, such as breaking the current in presence of a fault, are performed by the circuit breaker.
Secondary functions are those functions related to auxiliary and control features, such as, protection, interlocking, supervision (local or remote), control (local or remote), automation, measure, metering, diagnostic, communication.
Over the years, switchgear panels have been provided more and more with electronic devices, in particular Human Machine Interfaces which interaction with users, and one or more so-called Intelligent Electronic Devices which provide existing functionalities or to add new ones, such as performing communication among components belonging to a panel or to different panels, for example.
Although these electronic devices have allowed improvements, there is still room and desire for further improvements, in particular when service or maintenance operations have to be performed.
In particular, each Intelligent Electronic Device is the storing recipient of data which can be related to the Intelligent Electronic device itself, the switchgear panel in which it is installed, as well as to a circuit breaker to which the Intelligent Electronic Device is operatively associated. If for any reason an Intelligent Electronic Device or the circuit breaker to which it is associated needs to be modified or replaced, for example, due to a possible failure, the relevant data previously stored can be lost or significantly modified. Hence, a user intervening on the switchgear panel is specified to have a computer, connection means for connecting to the Intelligent Electronic Device and also configuration data/files for correctly re-setting the switchgear panel and various components/various operation thereof. In addition, in order to accomplish this objective the user should be quite skilled in performing such operations. This qualification can negatively influence the mean time needed to perform the maintenance/servicing operations while keeping the panel out of service as well as the involved costs.